Introduction
Welcome to the Irodori Elementary 1 study guide at NihongoDoya. This page brings together every sentence pattern, particle and verb conjugation introduced across Irodori Elementary 1 (Japan Foundation) (18 task-based units), with worked examples, exam-style explanations and clear summaries on each lesson card. Whether you are revising for JFT-Basic A2 or building Japanese from scratch, the cards above let you jump straight to the topic you need — and the linked Japanese word list and audio practice pages keep every pattern grounded in real speech.
What you will learn
- Comparing and recommending people, places and items
- Giving reasons with ので, から and short conjunctions
- Asking for, granting and refusing permission politely
- Talking about hobbies, plans and weekend activities
- Explaining problems and asking for help in shops or offices
- Soft requests using てください, てもいいですか and similar forms
Who this level is for
Irodori Elementary 1 fits learners who have finished Irodori Starter or JLPT N5 and want to move from survival Japanese to confident A2 daily life — shopping, working, asking for help and giving short opinions in Japanese.
A useful weekly cycle for grammar study
- Read one unit on this page and copy the sentence pattern in your notebook.
- Drill three example sentences out loud, twice each.
- Match the unit with the related Japanese word list, learning ten new items.
- Listen to the unit on the matching audio practice page, first without the script, then with it.
- Review the previous unit for five minutes before moving on.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Asking for permission with raw te-form without adding もいいですか.
- Replacing ので with から in formal contexts where ので reads softer.
- Confusing comparative patterns (より, のほうが, いちばん) when ranking items.
- Translating please literally — Japanese expects てください or お願いします depending on tone.
Related study materials
Build a joined-up study cycle by combining this page with the matching Irodori Elementary 1 grammar guide, the Irodori Elementary 1 Japanese word list and the Irodori Elementary 1 audio practice page.
Frequently asked questions
Who should study Irodori Elementary 1?
Learners who have finished Irodori Starter or JLPT N5 and want practical A2 Japanese for daily life — shopping, working and travelling in Japan.
How long does Irodori Elementary 1 take?
About three to four months at one unit per week with daily review. Pair every unit with the matching audio practice page and Japanese word list.
Does this overlap with JLPT N4?
Yes — roughly half of the sentence patterns in Irodori Elementary 1 also appear on JLPT N4. Many learners use both pages in parallel.
Is this guide suitable for the JFT-Basic test?
Yes. The Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) targets exactly the A2 themes Irodori Elementary 1 covers.
What should I do after this level?
Continue to Irodori Elementary 2 for the upper-A2 themes, or jump straight to the JLPT N4 grammar guide if you prefer an exam-focused path.